A time card calculator turns clock-in and clock-out times into hours worked and pay. It measures the span between in and out, subtracts your unpaid break, and converts to decimal hours (so 7 h 45 m becomes 7.75) for easy multiplication by your rate. Clock-outs earlier than clock-ins are read as overnight shifts and get 24 hours added. Everything shown is gross pay, before tax.
Reviewed: June 20, 2026 · Author: Naveen P N, Founder — AI Calculator · Verified against: elapsed-time and decimal-hour payroll arithmetic, recomputed in code.
The time card formula
The arithmetic is simplest in minutes: convert both times to minutes-since-midnight, subtract, and add 1,440 (24 hours) if the result is negative — that's the overnight case. Take off the break, divide by 60 for decimal hours, and multiply by your rate. Decimal hours matter because payroll multiplies them directly; 7.75 × $25 is cleaner than juggling 7 hours and 45 minutes.
Worked example — 9:00 to 17:30
Scenario: in at 9:00, out at 17:30, 30-minute unpaid break, $20/hour.
That's 8.00 hours and $160 gross. A part-shift from 8:15 to 16:45 with a 45-minute break is 7.75 hours ($193.75 at $25/hour). And an overnight shift from 22:00 to 6:00 spans 8 hours; after a 60-minute break it's 7.00 hours — the calculator spots the midnight crossing and adds the 24 hours for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Span from in to out minus the unpaid break. 9:00–17:30 = 8.5 h; − 30 min = 8.00 h worked.
If clock-out is earlier than clock-in, 24 h is added. 22:00–6:00 = 8 h span; − 60 min = 7.00 h.
Minutes as a fraction of an hour: 7 h 45 m = 7.75 h (45 ÷ 60 = 0.75). Payroll multiplies decimal hours by the rate.
Gross — hours × rate, before tax and deductions. For overtime premiums use the overtime calculator.
If it's unpaid, yes — enter it and it's deducted. For paid breaks, leave the break at 0.